Tea or coffee service



(No Model.)

' '1). Hi MURPHY. TEA 0E COFFEE SERVICE.

P-atented Mar. 27,. 1888.

UNITED STATES.

DANIEL H. MURPHY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.-

TEA OR COFFEE SERVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,048, dated March 2'7, 1888.

Application filed AugustEZS, 1887. Serial No. 247,801. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern;

Be it knownthat I, DANIEL H. MURPHY, of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State Connecticut, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Tea and Coffee Service,

of which the following is a full,-clear, and exact description, whereby any one skilled in the art can make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in tea and coffee service; and its object is to provide a knockdownstand adapted to receive a coffee-pot, tea-pot, or like receptacle, and hold the same in tilting adjustment, and also to provide means for the ready insertion of a vessel into the stand and its removal therefrom, and at the same time provide an. ornamental and inexpensive stand convenient for table use.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figurel is aside elevation of my device. Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail View of the clamp. Fig. tis a detail view of the brace. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the frame and platform clamp. Fig. 6 is a detail View of one of the standards.

In the drawings, the letter a denotes the standards, which are made of any suitable material and of any desirable design. Lugs a are formed on the standards at or; near their upper end to provide pivots upon which to support the frame I), and near the bottom lugs a a, are provided for the engagement of the brace c, that holds the standards together, the said brace being preferably made of wire so bent that the loop 0' hooks over the lug 0L. and the corners c engage the lugs a on each standard when assembled for use.

The frame b is made of any light material, and is provided on each side, about the middle of its height, with sockets that form bearings for the pivots. A plate, d, is pivoted to the base of the frame, which plate has upturned arms for holding the platform 6,- this platform being usually a disk of earthymaterial, as a tile, as this is most easily cleaned, and is not discolored by reason of heat that radiates from the vessel it may support.

To one side of the frame I), near the top, is attached the clamp f. This clamp is made up of a part that clings to the frame, and the spring-arms that reach to and after passing through the opposite side of the frame terminate beyond in handles. In the form shown the part that clings to the frame consists of two plates between which the frame passes, these plates being held together by a clamp-screw.

When the screw is loosened, the device can be moved up or down on the frame, and when ad I justed to the'desired height the screw is tightened, which binds the frame firmly between the plates.

The wire of the spring-arms is passed through a horizontal hole in theinner one of the plates, and is free to turn'in said hole, which allows the arms to swing vertically.

The walls of the slot 1) in the frame b,through which the spring-arms of the clamppass, are

serrated or provided with ratchet-teeth, so as' to prevent the spring-arms (which are so bent that their normal tendency is to springont- Ward into the serrations) from movement until forced together and disengaged from the teeth. When so forced together, they have a free swinging movement in the slot b, and can be lifted up out of the way to permit a vessel to be placed on the platform of the frame, and then brought down upon the top of the vessel to hold it firmly to the platform. I do not limitmyself tothe precise construction of the clamp shown, as both ends may be made alike and spring outward into serrations without departing from my invention.

The device is transported in a detached condition,-so as to pack in a small space, and to assemble and use it the brace is made to engage the lugs on the standards, this holding the standards rigid in an upright position. The pivots on the standards are then sprung into the sockets in the frame, the tile placed on its plate between the grasping-arms, and the clamp attached and adjusted to the proper height. 1 The spring -arms of the clamp are raised to theposition shown in dotted linein Fig. 1, and the tea-pot placed on the platform.

IOO

ing standard is to clamp it at thetop and firmly hold it against the base, and the clamp shown in the drawings is the one I prefer to use as being the simplest and easiest to operate; but I contemplate other forms of clamp which hold the vessel at the top in the practice of my invention.

The use of a tile as the platform in a swinging stand is of advantage, as it can be readily cleaned,is very ornamental ,and can be cheaply replaced if, damaged.

My whole device is simple, cheap, ornamental, and useful. It is readily assembled or taken apart. By having the bail rigid with the swinging frame I not only afford asupport for the clamp, but can accommodate a larger vessel than would be possible if the bail were integral with the standards, as in the case of ice-pitcher stands.

By providing several pivot-sockets the point of support may be so adjusted with relation to different sizes of vessels that theleast possible efl'ort is required to tilt them and pour out the contents.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In a tea and coffee service, the combination of the standards, the brace, the tilting frame supported by the standards, and the bailintegral with the tilting frame, all substantially as described, and for the purpose v specified.

2. In a tea and coffee service, the combination of the standards,a tilting frame supported by the standards, and a clamp attached to the frame above the level of the pivots that support the frame, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

3. -In a tea and coffee service, the combination of the standards a, brace 0, frame b, pivoted to the standards and having a base to sup- 0 port a receptacle, and a vertically-adjustable clamp to hold the receptacle down upon the base, all substantially as described, and for the purposespecified.

4. In combination with the tilting frame of 5 a tea and cofiee service, an adjustable clamp bearing spring-arms that project through a slot in the frame, said slot being serrated, all substantially as described, and for the purpose specified. v

DANIEL H. MURPHY.

Witnesses:

H. R. WILLIAMS, A. V. FRENCH. 

